DRINKING WATER

Modern sewage treatment plant-GettyImages-1328743788 7 Challenges Municipal Water Treatment Professionals Are Facing And How To Solve Them

Solutions that offer instant, chemical-free disinfection, manage costs, handle high organic loads, and control emerging contaminants are defining the path forward for water facilities.

DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS

DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES

  • The Basics: Keeping Our Water Clean Requires Monitoring
    4/30/2014

    Keeping the water in our lakes, rivers, and streams clean requires monitoring of water quality at many points as it gradually makes its way from its source to our oceans. Over the years ever increasing environmental concerns and regulations have heightened the need for increased diligence and tighter restrictions on wastewater quality.

  • Determination Of Hexanal In Foods Utilizing Dynamic Headspace
    4/9/2015

    Hexanal is one of many well-documented aromatic components that contribute to flavor and aroma in common consumer food products containing omega-6 fatty acids. Hexanal content is also used to measure the oxidative status of foods rich in omega-6 fatty acids.

  • Preliminary Assessment Of Water Quality In Riviera Grise Near Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
    10/17/2012

    The Riviera Grise drains water from the Cul-de-Sac watershed, Haiti, which covers most of the rural areas along the flood plains and areas that extend into steep hillsides. It also covers urban areas of Port-Au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti.

  • Bridge Crossings And The Proper Use Of EX-TEND®, FLEX-TEND®, And Force Balanced FLEX-TEND Products
    11/1/2020

    Of particular interest when it comes to bridges is the locating of pressurized water lines on and under bridge structures. Pressurized pipelines can present a number of unique challenges to the design engineer and utility owner.

  • Groundwater Remediation
    12/1/2020

    Good quality groundwater is an important natural resource. It provides drinking water for the public as well as process water for industrial applications. Groundwater can become contaminated through a number of ways including improper handling of process chemicals or disposal of wastes.

  • Waste Technologies Transform Problems To Profit
    9/8/2015

    Anaerobic digestion processes that radically improve the quality of wastewater while delivering green energy extracted from biological waste streams are emerging as a profitable way for agricultural and food processing industries cope with the twin impact of drought and pollution challenges.

  • Aquafine Ultraviolet Treatment Systems For TOC Reduction
    1/29/2025

    Aquafine TOC reduction units coupled with ion exchange systems or EDI will oxidize trace organics into smaller ionic species, carbon dioxide and water, which are more readily removed by ion exchange resins, EDI, and/or degasifiers.

  • TOC Monitoring In Process Return Condensate
    4/23/2021

    Industrial power plants or co-generation power plants utilize steam for industrial purposes other than power production.

  • Harmonics Reduction Methods
    4/17/2017

    There are several basic methods for reducing harmonic voltage and current distortion from nonlinear distribution loads such as adjustable frequency drives (AFDs). Following is a description of each method, along with each method’s advantages and disadvantages.

  • Municipal Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring
    9/24/2020

    We arm municipalities with actionable data necessary to make informed decisions about water quality in their communities

DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS

This filter is designed to provide economical treatment of smaller flows with the added advantage of retrofitting existing traveling bridge sand filters.

DXmic Pro is the latest generation ground microphone from FCS. Building on the excellent reputation of the Xmic, the DXmic features touchscreen operation and a wealth of new innovative features. The DXmic has the highest sound quality and supports audio recordings, so playback of any leak noise can easily be accessed via USB. The device comes with a robust carry case that can also be used as a charging station.

The ModMAG® M5000 Electromagnetic flow meter is an ideal solution for remote potable water applications, providing consistently reliable and accurate measurements. It is conveniently powered by a battery and built for field verification testing.

The AquaTrans AT600 liquid flow ultrasonic transmitter combines state-of-the-art flow measurement capability with a low-cost transmitter package that can be installed right at the process measurement point. It’s designed specifically for water and wastewater applications in full pipes. The all-digital AquaTrans AT600 has no moving parts and requires minimal maintenance.

Proven to dramatically increase capacity performance and help to meet tightening regulations.

The OPTIFLUX 4050 is an electromagnetic flowmeter (EMF) for chemical applications in non-hazardous areas. It provides cost-effective measurements with good accuracy and standard diagnostics and communication options. The extra isolation of the electronic device and housing makes this EMF particularly suitable for use in areas with extreme humidity and chances of flooding.

LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER

DRINKING WATER VIDEOS

Bluefield Research analyst, Erin Bonney Casey, presents on water reuse markets in the U.S. during the WateReuse Association's One Water Innovations Press Workshop at WEFTEC 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

How researchers at UC Merced are developing a better understanding of the three sources of water upon which California depends in order to adapt to the effects of environmental changes and make better use of this most precious of our natural resources.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy speaks at the 40th Anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) on December 9, 2014 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

"Wastewater Dan” talks with FOX 4 News Kansas City about drought conditions in California and procedures to conserve water in the home. He also demonstrates the use of a total dissolved solids (TDS) meter to test drinking water quality, and interprets the results.

GE partnered with the Wharton School's Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL) for an industry leaders' discussion about the energy/water nexus in unconventional oil & gas production.

ABOUT DRINKING WATER

In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:

  1. Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
  2. Drinking water treatment of source water
  3. Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers

Drinking Water Sources

Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater. 

Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.

Drinking Water Treatment

Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.

There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.

The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.

The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.

During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.

Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.

Drinking Water Distribution

Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.

A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.

Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.